Child Laborers

Few of the children liked working better than school, because they wouldn't get hit or punished. Many small children had to oil the giant looms, and replace threads while they were still running. Working in the mills was basically suicide, with no ventilation toxins get trapped and breathing them for 12 hours is harmful.

In 1903 there was a march led by “Mother Jones” from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Long Island, New York. But this march wasn't adults, it was all children. They carried sign that read stuff like “we want time to play.” The children were marching to raise awareness and change laws about child labor. The march consisted of some 60 children on strike with missing limbs, and fingers. There were 75,000 striking mill workers at the time.

On the morning of July 22nd, the parade wanted to cross into Manhattan, but the police refused to let the children cross the Hudson River. Mother Jones considered many options. But she was going to cross in a single file line. That did not meet the legal definition of a parade. She went the mayor and was told they could not cross because they weren't American citizens. About other people leading parades who weren't New York citizens, like Prince Henry of Germany or the Chinese government leader. Finally they were allowed to cross.

The children were taken to a carnival. Most of them have never even been to one. They were astonished by the lions and tigers and bears. Mother Jones gave speeches to the wealthy audiences. She locked some of the children in empty cages and showed the spectators what it was like working in the mills for 12 hours straight. She likened the children to slaves, her speeches were very successful.